Well-casing-repairing tool.



' J. G. METTLBR. WELL CASING RBPAIRING Tool.. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1909. 958,5 1 '7.

Patented my 17, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

.om A

C01 PNOTO-LrNOGHAFNERs. wAsmNcTorl D C J. 0.1METTLBR.

l '1909' Patented May 17, 1910 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

JOI-IN CHARLES METTLER, OF EVANS CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WELL-CASING-REPAIRING TOOL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. METTLER, of Evans City, in the county of Butler' and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well- Casing-Repairing Tools; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel machine for patching tubular well casings at any depth 'in situ. A

The object of the invention is to provide a machine adapted to carry a patch to any desired depth in the well, and opposite the leak in the casing and then securely fasten the patch in position.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in oil and gas wells in which metallic casings are employed, which casings frequently corrode, and when eaten through it is necessary to sto the holes or to renew the casing by replacing the corroded parts thereof, to remove and replace parts of such casings is very expensive; but by my invention the defective parts of the casing may be patched from the inside very quickly and at very little expense and without pulling the casing out of the well or disturbing any part thereof.

I will explain the invention in detail 1n connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a well casing showing my patch applying device in operative position therein. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the patch expander on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. lis an enlarged transverse sectional view of the patch holder and carrier on line L -t, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the operating rod and wedge connection.

The casing of a well is ordinarily constructed of metal tubing. This tubing is usually inserted in the well after the same has been bored or drilled, and in course' of time the walls of the well cave in against the casing,

. and in some cases when the well goes through mud veins, the casing becomes corroded and perforated with holes which admit impurities into the well and must be stopped, otherwise the well will be ruined. Heretofore it has been generally necessary Speciieaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Serial No. 515,707.

to remove the casing to replace the corroded parts, and to remove a long string of casing is very expensive, and the well is apt to cave in where the casing is removed, and plug it so that it sometimes cannot be repaired.-

My invention enables such casings to be repaired without removing them, and I do this by lowering a tubular patch into the casing to the desired point, and then securing such patch in position by expanding it in the casing as hereinafter explained. For this purpose the invention embodies a machine or tool which comprises a patch-holding portion and a patch-expanding portion by which a tubular patch may be lowered into the well until opposite the holes and then while the patch is held in position by the holder it is secured tightly in place by the action of the expander.

The specific details of the machine may be varied within the scope of the invention but in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the present preferred form of the apparatus which is constructed as follows.

The patch holder comprises a tubular head or sleeve 1 which is provided with radial slot-s in which aie fitted radially movable slides 2 that are provided on their outer ends with serrated heads 2a which are preferably stepped as indicated at 2b. These slides 2 can be moved radially outward so as to support the lower end of a tubular patch P on the steps 2b as shown, so that such patch can be lowered in the casing C while supported on the slides 2. The sleeve 1 is connected, as hereinafter explained, to an expander which comprises a tubular meinber or sleeve -l provided with radial slots 4a in which are placed slides 5 on the outer ends of which are journaled rollers 5b which proj ect beyond the ends of the slides and are adapted to be forced into contact with the inner wall of the patch as hereinafter explained, and are rotated while forced outwardly so as to expand the patch circumferentially in a well known manner.

The sleeves 1 and i are united by a tubular connection preferably having a revoluble joint, so that the expander may be rotated without vrotating the patch holder. As shown this connection comprises pipe sections 3a, 3b, threaded on their opposite ends and respectively screwed into the upper and lower ends of the sleeves l and 4f. The adjacent ends of the sections 3a, 3b, are connected Vto threaded nipples 3, 3d, united by a union as shown, which permits the expander to be rotated relative to the holder without destroying the connection therebetween. The distance between the patch holder and patch expander can be adjusted to suit different lengths of patches b v screwing sections 3, 3b, up or down, or by substituting like sections of different length therefor.

The slides 2 may be forced outward by means of a wedge G which extends axially through the sleeve l and it may be connected to the lower end of a supporting rod 8 to which the wedge (S is preferably rotatably connected in any suitable manner; as shown a tubular nut Ga is tapped into a socket in the upper end of wedge G and through this nut the reduced lower end of rod 8 passes freely, and on the reduced lower end of rod 8, which is threaded shown, are setting and jam nuts 6C, which prevent the wedge G disengaging the rod S while at the same time allowing it to rotate freely. The slides 5 may be moved outwardly by means of a wedge 7 slidably hung on rod 8.

rIlhe device may be lowered into the well casing by means of sections of tubing of small size such as are ordinarily used to raise fluid to the surface, which tube may be secured into the top of sleeve 4 as indicated at 9.

The patch P consists of a section of pipe which corresponds in external diameter to the internal diameter of the casing to be repaired and should be of a length sufiicient to certainly cover the defective portion of the casing. The location of the defect in the casing and the length thereof can be easily determined by any suitable means before the patch is lowered into the well.

The patch is preferably provided with an external gasket of soft metal indicated at 29,-,

the patch pipe P is slipped over the sleeves l and et as indicated in the drawings and its lower end is supported upon a shoulder 2b of slides 2, the sleeve 4 being previously adjusted at such a distance from the sleeve l that the rollers 5b will come opposite the gasket p when the patch is supported on the holder l. The apparatus is then lowered into the well until the patch is brought into position in the defective part of the casing; then the slides 2 are forced outward by means of a wet ge G so as to cause the heads 2a to bite against the walls of the casing and hold the patch from turning. Then the expander is turned while the wedge 7 is forced down so as to press the slides 5 outward and bring the rollers 5b into close contact with the Walls of the patch opposite the gasket and roll and expand the patch and form a tight `ioint between the patch and casing so as to securely fasten the patch in position in the casing. After the patch is secured the wedge 7 is withdrawn allowmg the slides 5 to retract rolls 5b and wedge G being raised permits slides 2 to retract until they are clear of the lower edge of the patch and then the apparatus can be raised.

Preferably after the patch is positioned on the patch-holder a small plug of soft wood is placed in the sleeve l between the inner ends of the slides 2 to hold them in place until the patch is lowered into position in the casing. Then the rod 1 with the wedges 6 and 7 is lowered through the tube 9 into the apparatus and the wedge 6 will of course strike 'the wooden wedge and the latter is knocked out by wedge G, which may be jarred by the usual devices, until the wooden plug is knocked out of place and the wedge G takes position between the slides 2 and firmly locks the apparatus in the casing.

The wedge 7 forces rollers 5b outward and the sleeve 4 with the rollers is turned by rotating the tubing 9 by which the apparatus is lowered into the well, and as the sleeve t is rotated the wedge 7 may be gradually driven down by jarring. After the patch is secured in position the wedges 6 and 7 are removed and the slides 2 can be moved inward by slightly shaking the device so as to carry the shoulders 2b from the lower edge of the patch and then the apparatus is drawn out of the casing, and the well can be again started in operation.

Having thus described my invention what I therefore claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon is:

l. In a tubular well repairing device, the combination of a patch holder having radially movable slides adapted to support a patch while being lowered into the well, and means for expanding the slides when lowered into the well so as to hold the patch while it is being applied.

2. In a tubular well repairing device, the combination of a patch holder having radially movable slides adapted to support a patch while being lowered into the well; with a patch expander rotatably connected to the patch holder whereby the patch may be expanded and locked in position while supported by the holder.

3. In a tubular well repairing device, the combination of a patch holder' having radially movable slides adapted to support a patch while being lowered into the well, and means for expanding the slides when lowered into the well so as to hold the patch while it is being applied; with a patch expander rotatably connected to the patch holder whereby the patch may be expanded and locked in position while supported by the holder.

t. In a device of the character described, the combination of a patch holder having radially movable slides adapted to support a patch, a rotatable patch expander, and

a revoluble connection between the patch holder and patch expander.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a patch holder having radially movable slides adapted to support a patch while being applied, and a rotatable patch expander having radially movable slides provided with rollers, and wedges for moving the slides radially outward in the patch holder and in the expander, and a revoluble connection between the patch holder and the patch expander.

6. In combination, a patch holder comprising a sleeve, radially movable slides in said sleeve having shouldered outer ends adapted to support a patch, a wedge adapted to engage the inner ends of said sleeves; with a patch expander comprising a sleeve, a series of radially movable slides therefor provided with rollers on their outer ends and a wedge for forcing the slides outward.

7. In combination, a patch holder comprising a sleeve, radially movable slides in said sleeve having shouldered outer ends adapted to support a patch, a removable wedge adapted to engage the inner ends of said sleeves and a rod to which said wedge is rotatably connected; with a patch ex-` pander comprising a sleeve, a series of radially movable slides therefor provided with rollers on their outer ends and a wedge for forcing the slides outward, and a revoluble joint between the patch holder and patch expander.

8. The combination of a patch holder comprising a sleeve, radially movable slides in said sleeve having shouldered outer ends adapted to support a patch, a removable wedge adapted to engage the inner ends of said sleeves and a rod to which said wedge is rotatably connected, and a patch expander comprising a sleeve, a series of radiall movable slides therefor provided with rol ers on their outer ends and a wedge for forcing the slides outward; with threaded pipe sections adjustably connected to said patch holder and to said patch expander and a revoluble joint between the pipe sections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CHARLES METTLER.

Witnesses:

W. C. DOUGLAS, JOHN A. NIoxLAss. 

